In the 44 years since Mary Kay started handing out pink Cadillacs to her super saleswomen, more than 143,000 independent beauty consultants in the United States have hit the magical number to drive a leased “career car” for the next two to three years.

These days, it takes a combined $100,000 in annual sales by her and her team to motor in pale pink.

Currently, there are nearly 6,000 career cars traveling U.S. roads. But only about 1,300 are Mary Kay Pink Cadillacs -- yes, there is an official tint.

The saleswomen can also choose a black Ford Mustang, Chevy Equinox crossover and Toyota Camry or a white Chevy Cruze. That’s just for the U.S. The choices vary internationally.

The black Mustang with pink-accent lighting is particularly hot with the younger Mary Kayers. There are 358 of them on the highways.

And there are three Caddies to choose from: the traditional CTS sedan, Escalade SUV and SRX crossover, all in the coveted MK pale pink.

They can also choose cash instead of a car.

At the end of the lease, most of the elite salespeople have requalified for a car, so they turn in one and drive off in another.

So what happens to all those unusual hued Cadillacs when they come off lease?

“We pay a little bit extra to get them painted pink and we pay a whole lot more to get them immediately repainted white,” CEO David Holl says.

You can’t have a peeling pink vehicle on the road now, can you?

Nor can you put one in the hands of a stranger who might not share the road in Mary Kay fashion.

Some women opt to keep the cars after the first lease and take a cash reward for the next two years.

“They get a good deal because we don’t have to paint it,” Holl says.

For more about how Mary Kay Inc. has become a giant globetrotter, read my column in the Sunday business section.